At least 50 suspected militants, mostly foreigners, were confirmed dead during an air strike by Pakistani fighter jets in northern Waziristan tribal agency of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan on Sunday, officials said.
According to public relations wing of Pakistan military, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the fighter jets pounded militantsآ’ hideouts in early hours of Sunday in Deta Khel area of the tribal agency.
The jets struck eight hideouts killing at least 50 suspected foreign militants, the officials said The strikes took place in the Boya Tehsil, Degan forests and Datta Khel tehsil of North Waziristan, destroying the hideouts completely.
Most of those killed during the strike were Uzbek militants, the official sources added. According to local media reports, the number militants killed could be over 100 but it was not confirmed independently. An ammunition dump has also been reportedly destroyed in the attacks.
The offensive was launched a week after outlawed Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed the responsibility of an attack at the busiest Pakistani airport in Karachi city killing at least 28 people.
The suspected mastermind of Karachi airport attack had been killed during the strikes, said the official sources